Machine for making plaster-lath.



L. N. FARNUM.

MACHINE FOR MAKINGPL'ASTER LATH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- ,1915- 1,288,543. Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

L. N. FARNUIVI.

' MACHINE FOR MAKING PLASTER LATH,

APPLICATION FILED DEC.3, I916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OO L. N. FARNUM.

MACHINE FOR MAKING PLASTER LATH. APPLICATION FILED DEC.8. 1916.

1,288,543, Patented Dec.24,1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFllCE.

LORING- N. FARNUM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR .TO BUTTONLATH MANUFACTUR- INGr COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

MACHINE FOR MAKING PLASTER-LATH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24 1318.

Application filed December 8, 1916. Serial No. 135,803.

. State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Plaster-Lath, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for the manufacture of plaster lath, plaster board, wall board, or like material; and this invention relates particularly to certain features of my machine which is described in my application 72,828, filed Jan. 18, 1916. Said application describes generally my machine for making plaster lath and the like, and its claims are directed more particularly to the combination including the traveling metal belt upon which the plaster lath is formed; and this present application refers more particularly to the cutting mechanism and the combination of the cutting mechanism with a conveyer (the belt).

It is included within the objects of this invention to provide a cutter, cutting mechanism and combination of cutting mechanism and belt or conveyer, by which a continuous strip of material traveling upon the belt or conveyer may be efliciently and cleanly cut into appropriate lengths. It is also an object to provide a cutting mechanism which will not disturb the material so as to interfere with its proper setting. WVith these and other objects in view, I provide a mechanism embodying a movable cutter and means to move the cutter along with the belt, or with the material carried upon the belt. I describe a specific and preferred form of machine in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l-is a partial longitudinal vertical section of the improved machine, and Fig. 1 is a continuation of Fig. 1; Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the forming rolls and their relation to the belt; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section, enlarged, illustrating the formation of plaster lath at the forming rolls on the belt; Fig. 4 is "a section taken as indicated by line 4- 1 on Fig. 1*; Fig. 5 is a section taken as indicated by line 55 on Fig. 1 Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section illustrating the operating mechanism for the cutter; Fig. 7 is an elevation illustrating the same; Fig. 8 is a detail section showing certain parts of said operating mechanism, and Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated by line 9-9 on Fig. 8.

I shall first explain the preferred form of the machine, explain the method of forming plaster lath or the like upon the moving belt, and then explain the preferred form of cutting mechanism and show its combination with the belt mechanism. As hereinbefore stated, it is the particular purpose of this application to claim the cutting mechanism and the combination of the cutting mechanism with a belt mechanism.

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates a pair of large drums over which the endless fiat metallic belt 11 travels. In the present machine there is a considerable distance between the two drums 10, say about two hun: dred feet; and the flat metallic belt 11 is made up of sheets of suitable steel welded together end to end. The thickness of the belt is sufficient (about one thirty second of an inch) to give it the requisite strength and stiflness; while the drums 10 are of sufficient diameter to prevent the belt from being bent so shortly as to acquire a permanent set. Each of the drums 10 is mounted on suitable bearings 12 supported on blocks 13 in such manner that the drums may be adjusted as to height and also to distance from each other. The belt 11, traveling between the lower sides of the drum, may either hang loosely'or travel on suitable idlers 13.

Situated near the head drum 10 (that is, that drum from which the belt moves in its upper travel, as indicated by the arrows) is a pair or rollers 14 and 15. Roller 14 is placed beneath the belt 11 to support the belt immediately beneath the roller 15; while the roller 15 is supported at a suitable distance above the belt, allowing a space be-- tween the roller 15 and the belt 11 for the formation of the plaster lath 16. This formation is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. The roller 15 is mounted in bearings 76 on arms 77 which swing from a pivot shaft 78'; so that, by means of a handle .79, the roller 15 may be swung around the shaft 78 and thus lifted from the belt. The normal position of roller 15 is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Between the head drum 10 and the roller 14 the belt 11 passes over a series of supporting rollers 17; this space being allowed in the present machine for the mixing of the plastic or cementitious material and its distribution over the lower form member 18. The mixing apparatusis not shown herein; but the plastic material 19 is shown flowing 011'.

an apron 20 near the roller'15. It will be u nderstood'that the "plastic material may be migged and delivered to the machine inany desiredfimanner, T any suitable means being employed for distributing the'plastic material evenly over the entireface of the lower form member 18. c,

Between the roller 14 and the tail-drum 10 the metal belt is supported by suitable metallic link belts 20 having rollers- 21 traveling on ways formed by beams 22, one

link belt at each side-. of the machine. Transverse supporting slats 23are secured between the two link belts in such arrange-- ment as to afiord a practically continuous support for the metallic belt 11. The'link at any point.

form of belt 30 no great strain belts pass .over' sprockets 24. Sprockets 24 ,(at the right in Fig. 1?). are the drive sprockets for the link" belts. They are mounted on a shaft 25 driven by large gear 26,- which in turn is driven by gear train 27 from power shaft 28. The speed in the present machine is such that the metallic belt travels at about two thirds of a foot' per second. There is no direct positive driveto the metallic belt'itself. The metallicfbelt is primarily'driven by its fric-' tional contact with the supporting belt; and

the friction of this contact is considerable porting belt is driven so that the lag or.

ard creep of .the metallic belt is backw thereby overcome.- But the driving trac tion of the small belt 30 is not enough to cause the metal belt to move ahead of the supporting belt. At the sametime there is put upon the metallic belt,

as the greater part of the driving effort on the belt is applied over a relatively large surface without Where the plaster moves ofi' 'the belt at the tail drum 10 it passes onto a suitable 7 support, as an apron -40, and thence it passes to the cutting mechanism 45. This cutting -mechanism embodies a pair of cutter bars '46 having removableblades 47.- The bars are swung on pivots 48 on swinging arms unduly straining the belt 49; and at one end these swinging arms 49 form parts of bell crank levers, the other arms 49 of which are connected by rods 50' with a small crank 51 on the end of a shaft 52. This shaft 52 is intermittently rotated (preferably'through half a revolution) by the operation of a mutilated gear 53 and spaced sets of gear teeth 54 on the large driving gear 26. This mutilated gear 53 is of any suitable design, and is provided with starting lugs 53 adapted to be engaged by blocks 54 to initially start the gear 53 and throw'its teeth into operative engagement with teeth 54. A half revolution of shaft 52 will swing the cutter bars 46 in opposite directions up and down toward each other and longitudinally past each other in'a swinging shearing movement, so that the plaster lath is cutby a shearing movement from both faces. This movement is indicated by arrows in Fig. 5. A half revolution of the shaft 52 will cause the cutter bars to swing past each other, the upper bar swinging down and toward the right. and then up, and the lower bar swinging up and toward the left and then down;

the cutters at the end of these movements occupying positions relatively opposite to.

that shown in Fig. 5. On the next half revolution of the shaft 52 the cutters will be carried back through similar, though opposite, movementsv to the positions shown in Fig. 5. "Thus each half revolution of shaft 52 causes the cutting actuation of the cutters. At the same time that this cutting operation takes place during the actual cutting movement, the frame 57 carrying the cutters is moved bodily longitudinally at the same speed as that at which the plaster lath is traveling. This is accomplished by the following described mechanism. The

cutter carrying frame 57 is mounted at one side upon the revolving shaft 52, collars 70.

being provided to cause longitudinal movement of the frame with the shaft; and is mounted at the other side upon a sliding mounted in bearings 71 near the cutter frame 57. The shaft 52 runs and slides in bearings 72 situated on opposite sides of gear 53, this gear being slidably keyed or splined to the shaft. The end of the shaft is slidably and revolubly journaled in bearing 73. A block 74 is mounted on the shaft 52 between two collars 75; and this block connects at the pin 76 with the arm 56 mounted on cross shaft 77. Shaft 77 carries another arm 56 connected at 78 with the end of sliding shaft 52*; the arrangement being such that an oscillation of arm 56 will cause direct longitudinal movement shaft 52 Shafts 52 and 52 are slidably of both shafts 52 and 52 and thus cause,

longitudinal movement of the cutter carrying frame and the cutters. The arm 56 has a part .80 having a cam slot or groove enmesses gageable by the roller pins or studs 55 mounted on the gear 26; and the pins 55 are so placed, and the cam groove so shaped, that their action is such as to cause the movement of the parts in the direction indicated in Fig. 6, during the cutting actua-- tion of the cutters, at a speed equal to the speed of the belt. The longitudinal travel of the cutters is sufficient to allow the cutters to complete their action and to pass out of engagement with the plaster lath while moving longitudinally. When a pin 55 has passed completely through the cam groove at 80, then a spring 85 throws the parts longitudinally back to their normal position, ready for the next cutting operation.

When the machine is in operation, the parts move slowly in the direction indicated, the metallic belt 11 traveling continuously over the drums 10. The lower form sheet 18 is fed onto the moving metallic belt; and, at the rollers 14 and 15, the plastic or cementitious material is introduced, the upper form sheet 18 being also introduced over the roller 15. The plastic material is pressed out into a layer of uniform thickness between the two form sheets, between the two rollers 14 and 15. These form sheets may be both plain unperforated sheets of suitable pulp-board, paper or the like; or the lower form sheet may have depressions 18 and apertures 18, through which apertures and into which depressions the plastic material flows and is forced to form a projecting button or the like, as shown at 19. The depressions 18 are preferably circular, one surrounding each aperture 18. The metallic belt 11 is smooth and imperforate; and the protrusions of plastic material are forced out against the upper surface of the metallic belt and slightly spread to form a key shaped protrusion. At the point where the material passes between the two rollers the lower form sheet is pressed down against the metallic belt and each of the spaces in the depressions 18 is tightly closed; air is entrapped in each of these spaces; and this entrapped air assists in'preventing and limiting the amount of material which flows through the opening to form the protrusion.

For this purpose, as hereinbefore stated, the metallic belt is made with a smooth surface and is of sufiicient thickness to keep a flat true form without undulations or without any permanent irregular sets.

The plaster lath, plaster board or the like, having been formed, it is carried continuously along the belt toward the discharge end of the machine and toward the cutters. During the time it is, on the belt the cementitious or plaster substance sets or partially sets; and it is important that it be not subjected to any stretching or compressing strains as otherwise the structure of the plastic base would be impaired. It is also desirable that the cuts shall be smooth and clean; and for these purposes the longituditing the opposite paper sheets simultaneously, each from the outer surface inwardly so that no ragged edges are left. The two cut/ters are ad usted so that their cutting edges pass each other to make a cut cleanly and clearly through the material.

Although I have described in some detail a specific form of machine, I do not thereby limit myself to such details; as the machine may be varied and modified within the scope of the claims without departing from the invention.

Having described a preferred form of invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a traveling conveyer belt. means to move the belt including a shaft and wheel, a cutting mechanism situated at the end of the belt and embodying a frame, cutters supported on the frame transversely of the belt, sliding shafts supporting the cutter frame, one of said shafts being also revoluble and operatively connected to the cutters, means for revolving said shaft from said wheel; and means actuated from said wheel to cause longitudinal movement of the shafts and the cutter frame.

2. In combination, a traveling conveyer belt, means to move the belt including a shaft and wheel, a cutting mechanism situated at the end of the belt and embodying a frame, cutters supported on the frame transversely of the belt, sliding shafts supporting the cutter frame, one of said shafts being also revoluble and operatively connedted to the cutters, means embodying mutilated ears for intermittently revolving said shaft from said wheel, and means embodying pins on said wheel .and a cam connected to said shafts for moving the shafts longitudinally.

3. In combination, a traveling conveyer, a cutter frame, cutters mounted thereon one above and one below the plane of the conveyer, means for actuating each of said cutters to move them toward each other to cut from above and below 'ma-terial carried on the-conveyer, and means to move the cutter frame and cutters longitudinally of the belt during cutting action.

4. In combination, a traveling conveyer, a

'cutter frame arranged transversely of the means actuated in cooperation with the conveyer to slide the cutter frame with the belt during cutting action.

5. In combination, a main frame, a traveling conveyer belt thereon, a cutter frame arranged transversely of the belt, a pair of longitudinally'movable shafts journaled on the main frame, and supporting the cutter frame, a pair of cutters one above and one.

below the plane of the belt, supporting means for the cutters embodying links pivoted on the cutter frame and pivoted to the cutters, one of said shafts being revoluble, a

crank 0n the end of the shaft, connecting means between the crank and the cutter sup-- porting links at one end of the cutters, means to intermittently revolve the revoluble shaft through a half revolution, and means to move the shafts longitudinally with the belt during cutting action.

6. In combination, a main frame, a traveling conveyer belt thereon, a cutter frame arranged transversely of the belt, a pair of longitudinally movable shafts journaled on the main frame and supporting the cutter frame, a pair of cutters one above and one below the plane of the belt, supporting means for the cutters embodying links pivoted onthe cutter frame and pivoted to the cutters, one of said shafts being-revoluble, a crank on the end of the shaft, connecting means between the crank and the cutter supporting links at one end of the cutters, means to move the belt including a shaft and wheel, means to intermittently revolve the revoluble shaft from the wheel embodying mutilated gears adapted to revolve the shaft up from beneath and down from above the material carried on the conveyer, and means to move the cutting mechanism with the conveyer during its cutting action.

8. In'a device of the character described, a

cutting mechanism embodying a cutterv frame, a pair of parallel cutter bars with their cutting edges in opposing relation and normally spaced apart, and means to move said cutter bars in simultaneous opposite Y shearing movements longitudinally and to given swinging motions longitudinally and to and from each other, connective means to cause the cutter bars to swing in opposite directions, and means to alternately and intermittently swing a cutter bar in one direction and then in the opposite direction.

10. In a device ,of the character described,

.a cutting mechanism embodying a cutter frame, a pair of cutter bars in parallel and normally spaced positions with their cutting edges in opposite relation, a pair of swinglng arm supports for each bar on the frame, interconnective means between asupport for one bar and a support for another bar to constrain the bars to swing in opposite directions, and means to swing one of said supports first in one direction and then in the opposite direction;

11. In a device of the character described,

a cutting mechanism embodying a cutter frame, a pair of cutter bars in parallel and normally spaced positions with their cutting edges in opposite relation, a pair of swinging arm supports for each baron the'frame, interconnectiv'e means between a support for one bar and a support for another bar to constrain the bars to swing inopposite directions, and means to swing one of said supports first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, said means embodying a shaft witha crank and a connecting rod between the crank and the swinging support, and means to rotate the shaft intermittently through a half revolution. 7

In witness that .I claim the foregoing- I have hereunto subscribed my name this sixth day of December, 1916.

LORING N. FARNUM.

Witnesses:

MAY M. NUss, Gno. W. BAGHMAN. 

